11 Cold Porridges We Rely on When It's Too Sticky for Oatmeal

Calling all cold porridge lovers: We've got you. We partnered with Califia Farms to share Food52 favorites, plus a little intro to how to make your own muesli.

For loyal hot cereal fans—the yearound lovers of thick, creamy oatmeals and porridges of all types—midsummer is the challenge. Hot oatmeal on a sticky July morning does about as much for us as a wool sweater, which means we have to turn elsewhere for our lovable mush (and stick-to-the-rib breakfast) fix. And we turn to the wonderful world of cold porridges: overnight or baked oats, chia puddings, and maybe best of all, muesli so thick you can stand a spoon up in it.

Photo by Julia Gartland

Muesli, the older Swiss cousin to overnight oats, is usually made with yogurt and milk and/or fruit juice, plus a grated apple and a heap of dried fruit and nuts stirred in—but like nearly all porridges, can have its components fiddled with. Use nondairy milk or yogurt for a vegan option, stir in big pinches of cinnamon or cardamom or a bit of grated ginger… and like all of the porridges below, you can make it in advance and dole it out over the course of the week. (And it only gets better.) Here’s a little muesli inspiration to whet your appetite—and some of Food52’s best cool porridges to get all you oatmeal diehards through to September: